LITMIR.BIZ

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had women, of course, but none that meant anything beyond physical pleasure. None that he’d wanted to claim, to brand in the most primal, basic way. He didn’t know what it was, but Emily was simply different. And she affected him differently.

      That dress of hers…so feminine, so deceiving. He’d always heard other men joke about having a lady in the parlor and a wanton in the bedroom. The dress had looked innocent enough, but her eyes…

      He knew, even though he wasn’t happy knowing, that Emily fit the descriptive mix of lady and wanton to a tee. It was an explosive fantasy, the thought of having a woman who would unleash her passion for just one man, that no one would ever guess unless they were with her, covering her, inside her.

      Beneath her dress, he could make out the faint, delicate curve of her breasts, her narrow rib cage. She was so slight of build, but so feminine. She had the finest skin he’d ever seen, warm and smooth and pale. And loyalty. She must be damn loyal to this kid—whoever he was—to take such risks for him.

      Judd’s thighs clenched and his heart raced. He hadn’t been able to resist touching her, and she hadn’t protested when he did.

      She was too trusting for her own good. And he was too intuitive to be fooled by her prissy demeanor. Emily Cooper had more than her fair share of backbone, and that was almost as sexy as her eyes.

      Stopping at a corner drugstore and leaving the truck at the curb, Judd got out to use the lighted pay phone. He never used the phone in his apartment to contact headquarters, in case there were prying ears. To his disgust, his hands shook as he fished a quarter out of his jeans pocket. He made the call, and then waited.

      Lieutenant Howell picked up on the first ring. “Yeah?”

      “Sanders here.”

      “It’s about time. Where the hell have you been?”

      Judd closed his eyes, not relishing the chore ahead of him. This wasn’t going to be easy. He took a deep breath, then told his boss, “We have a little problem.”

      “I’m waiting.”

      “I met a lady tonight.”

      “Is that supposed to surprise me, Judd? Hell, you’re working as a male stripper. I imagine you meet a lot of broads every damn night.”

      “Not a broad,” Judd said, the edge in his tone evident. “A lady. And she was actively looking for Donner, though she hasn’t put a name to him yet. Seems she knows a kid who had a faulty automatic blow up in his face, and she’s pegged Donner as the seller.”

      There was a low whistle, then, “No kidding?”

      “The kid’s alive, but from what I understand, he’s in pretty bad shape. His parents have taken him out of the country.” Then, in a drier tone, Judd added, “They’re upper-league.”

      Judd expected the cursing, then the inevitable demand for details. The telling took all of three minutes, and during that time, Howell didn’t make a single sound. Judd tried to downplay his initial meeting with Emily and the fact she’d seen him perform, but there was no way to get around it completely. When Judd finished, he heard a rough rumble from Howell that could have been either a chuckle or a curse. “She could throw a wrench into the works.”

      Judd chose his words very carefully. “Maybe not. I’ve been thinking about it, and it might actually strengthen my case. Being a stripper in such a sleazy joint makes me look pretty unethical. And I’ve made it known I’d do just about anything, including stripping, to make a fast buck.”

      “But Donner hasn’t taken the bait yet.”

      “He will.” Judd was certain of that. Donner always used available locals. That was how he worked. “It will happen. But maybe, with a classy woman hanging around to make me look all the more unscrupulous, Donner will buy in a little quicker.”

      “You think he’ll figure the little lady is keeping you?”

      “What else would he think? We’re hardly the perfect couple. As long as she’s informed and close enough for me to keep an eye on her, she’ll be safe. And Donner will definitely get curious. Besides, I don’t have much choice. She made it real plain she’d investigate on her own if I didn’t see fit to help her. It’s a sure bet she’d tip Donner off and send him running.”

      Howell chuckled. “Sounds like you got everything nicely under control.”

      No. He didn’t have his libido under control, or his protective male instincts that had him wanting to look after her despite his obligations to the job and his loyalty to Max. “I can handle things, I think. It would have been better not to have a civilian involved, but my options are limited now.”

      “I could have her picked up for some trumped-up violation. That might buy you a little time to settle things without her around.”

      The thought of Emily being humiliated that way, being harassed—by anyone other than himself, was unthinkable. “No. I’ll keep an eye on her. Besides, she’s so clean, she squeaks. I doubt you’d find anything. And I already tried scaring her off, but she’s sticking to her guns.”

      “Determined, huh?”

      Judd snorted. “I almost think she wants Donner as bad as I do. She was taking pictures. Can you imagine? I took the film. I don’t think there’s anything important on it, but I don’t want to take any chances. Not with this case.” And not with her. “So I’ll let her hang around a while, and use the situation to our advantage. In any case, she’ll probably be with me when I perform at the bar on Tuesday.”

      “Keep me posted as soon as you know about the film. And in the meantime, watch your backside. Don’t go getting romantic ideas and blow this whole thing.”

      “Fat chance.” He hoped he sounded convincing. “I just wanted you to know what was going on.”

      “You need any backup on hand, just in case?”

      “No.” Everything had gone better than he could have hoped. His performance was convincing, even superior to the other dancers’. But he didn’t intend to share all that over the phone. It was humiliating. “I don’t want to take a chance on blowing it now. I’m accepted. No one suspects me of being anything but a stripper.”

      “Yeah, you fit the bill real good.”

      Judd ignored that taunting comment. They’d checked the place over in minute detail before setting up the stakeout. Donner definitely used the room above the bar to make his deals and meet contacts. So it was imperative that Judd be on hand. Unfortunately, the bar was such a damn landmark, having been there for generations, the only transient positions available were the dancers’. The bartenders had been there for years and the bar’s ownership hadn’t changed hands except within the same family. If Judd wanted Donner he was stuck stripping. And he wanted Donner real bad.

      “As I said, it’s a believable cover, but I hope like hell we can wrap it up soon. I don’t want to take any unnecessary chances.”

      And he didn’t want Emily to get caught in the middle of his own personal war.

      “Judd? Is there something you’re not telling me? Has something happened? Is it time?”

      His instincts told him things would come to a head soon, but he kept that thought to himself. “Hell, it’s past time, but who knows? Something’s bound to break soon. Either a deal or my back. Those ladies can be real demanding when you’re peeling off your clothes.”

      As he’d intended, his cryptic complaints lightened the mood. “You’re the perfect guy for the job. Just don’t start enjoying yourself and decide to leave us for bigger and better things.” Howell laughed, then cleared his throat. “Stay in touch, and for God’s sake, stay alert. Get the hell out if things go sour.”

      “I’ll keep my eyes open.”

      Judd felt a certain finality settle over him as

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